Beijing, 27 April 2024, (GNP): Xi Jinping emphasized to Blinken that China views the United States with optimism, welcoming a confident, open, prosperous, and flourishing America. Additionally, China hopes for reciprocal positivity from the U.S., acknowledging and appreciating China’s own developmental strides.
“This is a fundamental issue that must be addressed, just like the first button of a shirt that must be put right, in order for the China-U.S. relationship to truly stabilize, improve and move forward,” Xi stressed.
Three weeks ago, during a phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart, President Joe Biden, an agreement was reached for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to make an imminent visit to China.
The pinnacle of Blinken’s visit occurred when Xi Jinping personally met with him at the esteemed Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday afternoon, just hours before the conclusion of Blinken’s three-day diplomatic mission.
During their meeting, Xi Jinping underscored the shared responsibility of both China and the United States in maintaining global peace and emphasized the importance of fostering opportunities for the development of all nations.
As major powers on the world stage, Xi Jinping urged both countries to serve as exemplars by providing global public goods and actively contributing to global solidarity efforts.
Reflecting on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, Xi Jinping remarked on the resilience of the relationship, acknowledging that despite enduring challenges, it continues to offer invaluable lessons and inspirations for the future.
Xi Jinping also stressed the importance of China and the U.S. being partners rather than rivals, supporting each other’s success instead of causing harm, seeking common ground while respecting differences instead of engaging in fierce competition, and prioritizing actions that align with their words rather than making empty promises.
“I proposed mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation to bethe three overarching principles. They are both lessons learned from the past and aguide for the future,” Xi said.
Additionally, Chinese President clarified that while China is not averse to competition, it should be oriented towards mutual advancement rather than viewed as a zero-sum game.
Furthermore, he emphasized China’s commitment to non-alignment and urged the U.S. to refrain from forming exclusive alliances.
“Both sides can have their own friends andpartners and should refrain from targeting,opposing or damaging each other,” he said.
According to Wang Yiwei, the director of the Institute of International Affairs at Renmin University of China, if the U.S. persists in perceiving China’s development in a negative light and adopts a zero-sum mindset, it will exacerbate the issues in China-U.S. relations.
That’s why China keeps urging the U.S. to change its mentality and change the way it views China and the perspective it views China-U.S. relations,” Wang told CGTN.
Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the Department for American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, interpreted Xi’s meeting with Blinken as a clear indication of China’s significant regard for China-U.S. relations. Xiaohui expressed China’s anticipation of collaborative endeavors from both nations to stabilize the relationship and steer it towards a positive trajectory.
“It’s a very clear signal to the international community that China would like to work with the U.S. instead of taking a rivalry attitude to it, Su said during an interview with CGTN.
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Five-point consensus
China and the U.S. achieved a five-point agreement during discussions between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Blinken on Friday morning.
Both parties affirmed their commitment to exerting ongoing efforts to stabilize and enhance China-U.S. relations, while also accelerating the implementation of the significant mutual understandings established by Xi and Biden during their summit meeting in San Francisco last November.
The two nations agreed to uphold high-level exchanges and communication across all levels, including an upcoming visit to the U.S. by China’s special envoy for climate change, Liu Zhenmin.
After the discussions, China and the U.S. further declared their intention to convene the inaugural meeting of the China-U.S. intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence and to conduct a fresh round of consultations on Asia-Pacific affairs and maritime issues between the two nations, among other planned initiatives.
Both parties also affirmed their commitment to implementing measures aimed at broadening cultural and people-to-people exchanges, while pledging to sustain consultations on international and regional hotspot issues.
During the discussions with Blinken, Wang reiterated that the Taiwan issue represents the “first red line” that should not be breached in China-U.S. relations. He emphasized that the U.S. should cease its arms sales to Taiwan and endorse China’s pursuit of peaceful reunification.
He further criticized the U.S. for its efforts to stifle China’s economy, ranging from propagating the unfounded narrative of “overcapacity” in China to imposing sanctions on Chinese companies and implementing 301 tariffs that contravene WTO regulations.
The Chinese foreign minister also urged the U.S. to refrain from pressuring countries in the Asia-Pacific region to pick sides, halt the deployment of land-based intermediate-range missiles, cease actions that undermine China’s strategic security interests, and desist from jeopardizing the hard-earned peace and stability in the region.